The present invention relates generally to telecommunication systems and, more particularly, to a system and method for subsidizing PC-based telephony service.
The provision of long distance telephone service is very competitive in today""s marketplace. Presently, long distance telephone calls are typically provided by an Inter-eXchange Carrier (IXC). This IXC charges the consumer a per-minute fee for placing long distance calls.
An emerging service is IP-based telephony from a personal computer (PC), known as Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), in which the subscriber places an outgoing telephone call over a network, such as the Internet, from his PC. In general, the caller subscribes to VolP service and is charged a per-minute usage fee associated with the long distance call.
Because of intense competition, there is a continuing need for telecommunication companies to reduce the cost of existing telecommunications services.
Systems and methods consistent with the present invention address this need by providing a mechanism through which the charges for telephone calls can be reduced or eliminated.
A method consistent with the present invention includes authorizing, via a service provider, telephone services over a data network to a client terminal. The service provider establishes a telephone call between the client terminal and a receiving terminal over the data network. During the telephone call, at least one advertisement is displayed at the client terminal. Upon termination of the telephone call, the service provider calculates a bill based on a subsidized billing rate.